That, and the fact that there are paid professionals who are doing their job. Letting everyone with a huge lens in will not only be a bother to spectators near you (potentially blocking their view if you have something that's long enough), but also risk taking away the official photographers' jobs.

I very much doubt the venue is in any way concerned over the the prospect of a photographer losing his job. Rather they know very well that without these restriction, the "official" paid photographers would probably be sitting in the stands and not paying the organizers for the "rights" to shoot.

Nonsense. There's no way you're going to get the money shots from the stands.

It is a difficult balancing act for organisers, and to be honest, I am not positive anyone really knows where the balance should be.

Media generally have very strict rules by which to conduct themselves, and there are plenty (long, long list) of can, and cannot dos - both during and post-event.

I have been at many events as media and have not been allowed to take stills or video from the media box, yet just a few metres away from me are non-media filming the whole thing and taking snapshots with a good DSLR and covered long lens.

It took that particular event two years, and a lot of moaning from some media for them to relax the rules slightly and allow media to take stills from the media box and there were still plenty of restrictions. Still no video though which is understandable.

That is just one example, at one event, and each event is very different.

I have watched a fair bit of the Olympics and there seems to be plenty of good looking cameras in the crowd, which the TV cameras always seem to pick up on (at least once).

Reading this I was thinking about the use of a tele-converter. Would a security Guard know what it was? What it does?

And then a few minutes later as I watched, and they scanned the crowd at a track event I spotted a guy with a Canon DSLR, and a 2X converter, (tan). Attached to that appears to be a smaller off brand converter. I think Kenko 2X, and then a 50mm f1.4. That would give a less than stellar quality 200mm f5.6. But it's not that big, does not look pro, and says 50mm right on it.

I personally think this is done. We have 38MP cellphones now. For some reason the crowds at events view themselves as amateur cinematographers, and the ticket sellers aren't going to complain. And it would be better for the "talent" and event organizer to look better than cellphone grade, would it not?

So it's done. Four years from now, anything goes...because it will be ridiculous to say you can't bring a professional camera to an event, when that seems to be all people want to attend to do.

Safety concerns? I think photographers would be more worried about someone's head hitting their precious 600mm/4 than their lens hitting some idiot's head. That whole issue is contrived in the desire for usage fees. The usage fees will just become part of the price of admission.

And for the professionals? If they can't earn their keep over the morons in the stands, the hell widdum. You either succeed on merit (not to mention prime seating) or you go home medalless.

I don't know what the tickets say, but my sister took her 550D and 70-300 nonL to the canoe/kayaking (the flat one, not the white-water) yesterday without a problem. But then, i'd say you're more likely to get stopped with a 70-200L than the 70-300 non-L...

I am just an ordinary member of the public who has been lucky enough to go to a lot of events in a variety of venues.

I started off by taking my 5D3 and 70-200 2.8 L II plus a 2x III converter in an anonymous camcorder bag.

I have been to the Olympic Park (stadium, basketball arena and aquatics centre), Earl's Court, ExCeL and the North Greenwich / O2 arena.

In all but the O2 there were no problems at all. In fact it's so relaxed at the park I've now started taking the kit above plus a load of primes and other lenses in a rucksack. At the O2 they were a bit funny, but I have a print out of the restricted items list, so I showed them that and they apologised.

I have a number of friends with similar kit and they have not had or heard any reports of anyone having any trouble.

Ultimately nobody seems to care. Not the volunteers, not the military, not the security. It's all just an incredibly friendly atmosphere.

I was at the athletics stadium on Saturday night and there must have been five Canons with L zoom lenses in my section, in the same row! I think there were even three next to one another. It felt like I was in the official photographers' section.

Having said all of this, I hear Wembley are different, but I don't know anyone who has been. I'm off there for the final of the football so might have a rethink for that particular venue.

I don't know what the tickets say, but my sister took her 550D and 70-300 nonL to the canoe/kayaking (the flat one, not the white-water) yesterday without a problem. But then, i'd say you're more likely to get stopped with a 70-200L than the 70-300 non-L...